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DI William Gibson #1
Murder on Vancouver Island
The peace of a frosty morning is shattered when a man finds a colleague’s battered body. Detective Inspector William Gibson of the Vancouver Island police investigates…
The victim is found by a maintenance worker on the university campus. Despite being brutally murdered, there is a little other evidence; just a blood-spattered baseball bat and a condom placed under the body.
When the police discover that the victim, Robbie Spencer, was a closet homosexual, DI Gibson becomes convinced it was a hate crime.
However, co-workers are apparently nonplussed by the events, regarding the investigating officers with suspicion and disdain. Is the perpetrator one of them?
Gibson concentrates on a party held at the university the night before, one that he in fact attended. A fight had broken out between the guests. Can the two events be linked?
MURDER ON VANCOUVER ISLAND is free with Kindle Unlimited and coming soon in paperback. The sequel, MURDER AT LAKE ONTARIO, also featuring DI William Gibson, will be available soon on Kindle.
If you enjoy crime fiction by Melinda Leigh, Rachel Caine, and Kendra Elliot, you’ll love this atmospheric murder mystery set against the stunning backdrop of Canada’s west coast.
The victim is found by a maintenance worker on the university campus. Despite being brutally murdered, there is a little other evidence; just a blood-spattered baseball bat and a condom placed under the body.
When the police discover that the victim, Robbie Spencer, was a closet homosexual, DI Gibson becomes convinced it was a hate crime.
However, co-workers are apparently nonplussed by the events, regarding the investigating officers with suspicion and disdain. Is the perpetrator one of them?
Gibson concentrates on a party held at the university the night before, one that he in fact attended. A fight had broken out between the guests. Can the two events be linked?
MURDER ON VANCOUVER ISLAND is free with Kindle Unlimited and coming soon in paperback. The sequel, MURDER AT LAKE ONTARIO, also featuring DI William Gibson, will be available soon on Kindle.
If you enjoy crime fiction by Melinda Leigh, Rachel Caine, and Kendra Elliot, you’ll love this atmospheric murder mystery set against the stunning backdrop of Canada’s west coast.
229 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 26, 2019
312 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 26, 2020
Looking to add a little Canadian flavouring to my police procedurals, I turned to the work of Kathy Garthwaite. With a murder on Canada’s far West Coast, the reader meets the gritty Detective Inspector William Gibson and his role within the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit (VIIMCU), all While looking into the murder on university grounds. Garthwaite’s Murder on Vancouver Island is a great debut in a series with much potential. Recommended to those who like something away from the ‘major’ police procedurals out on the market today.
DI William Gibson cherishes his days off, particularly when it allows him to leave his Victoria home early in the morning and spend some quiet time in his kayak. When he is interrupted doing just that, DI Gibson knows it must be something significant and makes his way to the campus of the University of Victoria.
When DI Gibson arrives, he takes in the scene. A maintenance man, Robbie Spencer, has been murdered after being struck on the back of the head with a baseball bat. Spencer is still in civilian clothes, making it seem the attack occurred while he was just arriving. When the body is moved, an errant, unused condom is found under him, which leads to many questions. With a preliminary time of death between 5:30-7:00am, many of Spencer’s colleagues appear likely suspects.
DI Gibson turns to his partner, Detective Sergeant Ann Scott ‘Scottie’ Cruickshank to handle the scene. She begins interrogating the other maintenance men, all of whom cite their presence at a safety meeting that began around 5:30am. However, talk about a Hallowe’en party the night before opens up some possibilities, when one of the crew got into a skirmish with Spencer. Questions about Spencer’s sexual orientation are bandied about, even as he has a wife and child at home, which leads DI Gibson to wonder if the brutal attack might have been targeted.
While Scottie and Gibson begin trying to hash things out, the burning question of the brutality of the attack cannot be dismissed. DI Gibson begins to wonder if a hate crime might be on the table, even as his superiors refuse to entertain the idea. After an awkward interview with Spencer’s wife, the police learn that the victim was sitting on quite a large sum of money, which was to be dispersed amongst a few key family members. With a few motives and a handful of suspects, it will take some serious legwork to make sense of things.
While the case slogs along, DI Gibson is pulled into his personal life, when his wife, Katherine, has a nervous breakdown over the phone. It is the anniversary of her sister’s death and Gibson cannot promise when he will be home. It worries him, though he tries to deflect it, hoping that Katherine will understand and promises to be home soon. Still, he cannot help but wonder if there is more going on under the surface.
When forensics offer no clear suspect, it is up to a few secondary interviews by Scottie and DI Gibson that will narrow the field of possibles, with one at the centre of the case. An attack on a homeless man leaves DI Gibson wondering if there is a connection, even if it might dismiss his hate crime angle. Time’s running out and a killer remains on the loose, potentially free to strike again.
Kathy Garthwaite does a great job taking the reader on a Canadian adventure in this thriller without tapping into too many of the stereotypical expectations that many may have. Set in Victoria, the story’s setting offers something unique and adventurous, while also fuelling some great subplots throughout.
William Gibson does well as the protagonist in this piece, providing the reader with a little backstory and some great development. A transplant from Ontario, he leapt at the chance to work within the VIIMCU and has not looked back. He can appear narrow minded when it comes to his work, but he feels his time with the police has honed his gut instincts. Able to balance his professional life with what seems to be a somewhat challenging personal one, Gibson does the best he can. His grit will hopefully continue as the series develops, but I am eager to see where Garthwaite will take him in the next few books.
Great secondary characters keep the reader intrigued about the story and how they interact. The reader is given some great people in the supporting cast, who are able to keep the narrative moving and the plot thickening. The Gibson-Scottie duo is one that I am eager to see blossom a little more, as I can see there being something there on a professional level. Same goes for the Gibson-Katherine storyline, as the latter has already revealed some things in a subplot the reader can find for themselves. Garthwaite also uses her characters to tackle some social issues, which may be of keen interest to the reader.
The story may not be unique, but the elements offer up an individuality that will stick with the reader. Hate crimes, sexual orientation, and bullying in the workplace all play key roles in the narrative, which is pushed along with some great writing. Garthwaite mixes different chapter lengths into her novel to keep the reader hooked and pushing forward. While the book does not appear to be long, there are moments that it gets intense and the reader will slow their pace so as not to miss anything. I am eager to get my hands on the second novel in the series to see how it compares.
Kudos, Madam Garthwaite, for a great debut. You have me very curious and that means I’m ready to take the plunge into BOOK 2!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
DI William Gibson cherishes his days off, particularly when it allows him to leave his Victoria home early in the morning and spend some quiet time in his kayak. When he is interrupted doing just that, DI Gibson knows it must be something significant and makes his way to the campus of the University of Victoria.
When DI Gibson arrives, he takes in the scene. A maintenance man, Robbie Spencer, has been murdered after being struck on the back of the head with a baseball bat. Spencer is still in civilian clothes, making it seem the attack occurred while he was just arriving. When the body is moved, an errant, unused condom is found under him, which leads to many questions. With a preliminary time of death between 5:30-7:00am, many of Spencer’s colleagues appear likely suspects.
DI Gibson turns to his partner, Detective Sergeant Ann Scott ‘Scottie’ Cruickshank to handle the scene. She begins interrogating the other maintenance men, all of whom cite their presence at a safety meeting that began around 5:30am. However, talk about a Hallowe’en party the night before opens up some possibilities, when one of the crew got into a skirmish with Spencer. Questions about Spencer’s sexual orientation are bandied about, even as he has a wife and child at home, which leads DI Gibson to wonder if the brutal attack might have been targeted.
While Scottie and Gibson begin trying to hash things out, the burning question of the brutality of the attack cannot be dismissed. DI Gibson begins to wonder if a hate crime might be on the table, even as his superiors refuse to entertain the idea. After an awkward interview with Spencer’s wife, the police learn that the victim was sitting on quite a large sum of money, which was to be dispersed amongst a few key family members. With a few motives and a handful of suspects, it will take some serious legwork to make sense of things.
While the case slogs along, DI Gibson is pulled into his personal life, when his wife, Katherine, has a nervous breakdown over the phone. It is the anniversary of her sister’s death and Gibson cannot promise when he will be home. It worries him, though he tries to deflect it, hoping that Katherine will understand and promises to be home soon. Still, he cannot help but wonder if there is more going on under the surface.
When forensics offer no clear suspect, it is up to a few secondary interviews by Scottie and DI Gibson that will narrow the field of possibles, with one at the centre of the case. An attack on a homeless man leaves DI Gibson wondering if there is a connection, even if it might dismiss his hate crime angle. Time’s running out and a killer remains on the loose, potentially free to strike again.
Kathy Garthwaite does a great job taking the reader on a Canadian adventure in this thriller without tapping into too many of the stereotypical expectations that many may have. Set in Victoria, the story’s setting offers something unique and adventurous, while also fuelling some great subplots throughout.
William Gibson does well as the protagonist in this piece, providing the reader with a little backstory and some great development. A transplant from Ontario, he leapt at the chance to work within the VIIMCU and has not looked back. He can appear narrow minded when it comes to his work, but he feels his time with the police has honed his gut instincts. Able to balance his professional life with what seems to be a somewhat challenging personal one, Gibson does the best he can. His grit will hopefully continue as the series develops, but I am eager to see where Garthwaite will take him in the next few books.
Great secondary characters keep the reader intrigued about the story and how they interact. The reader is given some great people in the supporting cast, who are able to keep the narrative moving and the plot thickening. The Gibson-Scottie duo is one that I am eager to see blossom a little more, as I can see there being something there on a professional level. Same goes for the Gibson-Katherine storyline, as the latter has already revealed some things in a subplot the reader can find for themselves. Garthwaite also uses her characters to tackle some social issues, which may be of keen interest to the reader.
The story may not be unique, but the elements offer up an individuality that will stick with the reader. Hate crimes, sexual orientation, and bullying in the workplace all play key roles in the narrative, which is pushed along with some great writing. Garthwaite mixes different chapter lengths into her novel to keep the reader hooked and pushing forward. While the book does not appear to be long, there are moments that it gets intense and the reader will slow their pace so as not to miss anything. I am eager to get my hands on the second novel in the series to see how it compares.
Kudos, Madam Garthwaite, for a great debut. You have me very curious and that means I’m ready to take the plunge into BOOK 2!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
October 8, 2022
Overloaded with irrelevant details. Excellent metaphors. Fun Canadiana, close to home. I'll check out some of author's later stuff. Fiction.
July 4, 2019
Review ti follow...
April 1, 2019
Maintenance worker Robbie Spencer is found dead, murdered, at his place of work at the University workshops. Who is responsible and why?
We are swiftly introduced to our central characters, Inspector William Gibson & DS Ann Scott Cruickshank , who will lead the investigation, they have strong contrasting personalities yet work in perfect tandem to break the case. We also meet a gallery of maintenance workers - the unhelpful supervisor, the foreman, the loud mouth & his side kick, the loner, all of whom seem to be hiding something, and are uncooperative and evasive.
There is a distinctly softer side to the narrative; the relationship between Gibson and his wife, Katherine, adds another dimension to the book, a real human element. Katherine, previously in an abusive marraige finds herself battling personal demons. Gibson is supportive, but clearly often feels the strain and is torn between the responsibilities in his life. I found that through his interaction with Katherine, and also through exchanges with her brother Andrew and best friend Heather, a more sensitive caring side of Gibson's character is allowed to emerge and a warmth is generated between these characters which helps to balance the narrative.
I enjoyed the descriptive paragraphs throughout. Garthwaite has a very decent touch when it comes to atmospherics and the scenic, the weather often integral to the mood, touches of the poetic. There is also significant attention to detail regarding the architecture of buildings.
Enjoyable easy read.
We are swiftly introduced to our central characters, Inspector William Gibson & DS Ann Scott Cruickshank , who will lead the investigation, they have strong contrasting personalities yet work in perfect tandem to break the case. We also meet a gallery of maintenance workers - the unhelpful supervisor, the foreman, the loud mouth & his side kick, the loner, all of whom seem to be hiding something, and are uncooperative and evasive.
There is a distinctly softer side to the narrative; the relationship between Gibson and his wife, Katherine, adds another dimension to the book, a real human element. Katherine, previously in an abusive marraige finds herself battling personal demons. Gibson is supportive, but clearly often feels the strain and is torn between the responsibilities in his life. I found that through his interaction with Katherine, and also through exchanges with her brother Andrew and best friend Heather, a more sensitive caring side of Gibson's character is allowed to emerge and a warmth is generated between these characters which helps to balance the narrative.
I enjoyed the descriptive paragraphs throughout. Garthwaite has a very decent touch when it comes to atmospherics and the scenic, the weather often integral to the mood, touches of the poetic. There is also significant attention to detail regarding the architecture of buildings.
Enjoyable easy read.
January 9, 2020
This is a powerful debut novel by Canadian author Kathy Garthwaite.
Winter is beginning to encroach on Autumn and that sets the mood somewhat as detective William Gibson is not just holding down a busy job, he is dealing with his wife's depression. When a murder takes place on the university campus, he has to cut short his pastime kayaking and uncover the killer among a cohort of maintenance workers who are quite prepared to scupper the investigation. Juggling family and work, Gibson is under increasing pressure to get results.
Winter is beginning to encroach on Autumn and that sets the mood somewhat as detective William Gibson is not just holding down a busy job, he is dealing with his wife's depression. When a murder takes place on the university campus, he has to cut short his pastime kayaking and uncover the killer among a cohort of maintenance workers who are quite prepared to scupper the investigation. Juggling family and work, Gibson is under increasing pressure to get results.
May 18, 2019
Somewhat a disappointing book. reminded me of the television serial and novel CARDINAL . Darkish detective persona, problem wife, a good female partner etc... I know that the west coast in really beautiful , but did the author have to describe almost every leaves on the trees, sunsets sunrises and waters and snow covered roads? The overall plot to this book was not too bad but sluggish and when the author should have described what was happening, she would cut it short and move on and the reader was left wondering what had happened.
expected more.
Michele Zito
expected more.
Michele Zito
February 3, 2025
A bo0o0k by a "new to me "author. Set in and around Victoria on Vancouver Island the locations brought back happy memories of visiting while staying with friends many years ago. I found some of the characters a bit confusing as sometimes they were referred to by their surname, at other times by either a Christian or nickname. The story is quite complicated,, who killed one of the maintenance workers with a baseball bat and why? Secrets in private lives are exposed along with red herrings to keep the reader guessing. All in all a good read.
August 3, 2020
Detailed, complex mystery with plenty of red herrings. Looking forward to the next in series!
February 24, 2020
I was excited to read a murder mystery set in my alma mater and a town where I spent 4 great years. I was disappointed. Too many characters not properly developed; too much description that was extraneous to the plot of the story; too often the police seemed incompetent by accepting suspects' answers at face value without pressing them; too much running around Victoria and getting nowhere. And what were those trips to Duncan? Didn't add anything to the story.
The relationship between Gibson and Katherine was kinda weird too. I read the ebook from Amazon Prime. Glad I didn't buy it.
The relationship between Gibson and Katherine was kinda weird too. I read the ebook from Amazon Prime. Glad I didn't buy it.
January 8, 2020
Long and boring read..
The book dragged throughout....no excitement whatsoever. I skim read most of the book as it rags on and has a lot of frivolous, unnecessary information. I did not care for the main character or his wife. The storyline is terribly repetitive and became confusing early in the book....makes for bad police work. The guilty party was a surprise but how it was finally solved had nothing to do with the storyline and is a bit of a joke.
I will not be reading anything more by this author.
The book dragged throughout....no excitement whatsoever. I skim read most of the book as it rags on and has a lot of frivolous, unnecessary information. I did not care for the main character or his wife. The storyline is terribly repetitive and became confusing early in the book....makes for bad police work. The guilty party was a surprise but how it was finally solved had nothing to do with the storyline and is a bit of a joke.
I will not be reading anything more by this author.
October 16, 2020
A mystery overloaded with irrelevant details
Inspector William Gibson, married to a woman who had suffered an abusive prior marriage, is investigating a murder, perhaps a hate crime, at the center of the maintenance area of a recreation center in Victoria, BC. As the investigation proceeds relationships are exposed reluctantly by the workers at the center and a pattern of bullying and relative power among them is slowly revealed. However many of the observations in this book are proseletizing on the part of the author loaded with buzzwords and casual observations that have little to do with character or plot development - events and surroundings are described from the author’s point of view but not shown by the actions of the characters. This really depreciates the reading experience. I had trouble following from time to time and felt there was way too much extraneous information.
Inspector William Gibson, married to a woman who had suffered an abusive prior marriage, is investigating a murder, perhaps a hate crime, at the center of the maintenance area of a recreation center in Victoria, BC. As the investigation proceeds relationships are exposed reluctantly by the workers at the center and a pattern of bullying and relative power among them is slowly revealed. However many of the observations in this book are proseletizing on the part of the author loaded with buzzwords and casual observations that have little to do with character or plot development - events and surroundings are described from the author’s point of view but not shown by the actions of the characters. This really depreciates the reading experience. I had trouble following from time to time and felt there was way too much extraneous information.
March 2, 2020
Good read
After looking at the reviews for this book I wasn't sure what to expect but this was actually a very good read. The authors style of writing keeps you on the edge as you are trying to piece the evidence together. There are many suspects - as you would expect in real life. It wasn't obvious who the killer was. I really enjoyed the fact too that it was not rushed through in a span of just a couple days but it took weeks to sort out - which is more realistic and also gave us a look at the detectives home life as well. Thanks for the read, now to check out the other books in the series.
After looking at the reviews for this book I wasn't sure what to expect but this was actually a very good read. The authors style of writing keeps you on the edge as you are trying to piece the evidence together. There are many suspects - as you would expect in real life. It wasn't obvious who the killer was. I really enjoyed the fact too that it was not rushed through in a span of just a couple days but it took weeks to sort out - which is more realistic and also gave us a look at the detectives home life as well. Thanks for the read, now to check out the other books in the series.
May 17, 2019
A first novel that made me want to read the next one
A brutal crime, a kayaking detective and characters who are not necessarily what they seem. I wanted to know how it ended and wasn't disappointed. Some of the writing was a bit clunky as you'd expect in a first novel but at other points the characters felt very real and it was charming. I'm looking forward to reading her next book.
A brutal crime, a kayaking detective and characters who are not necessarily what they seem. I wanted to know how it ended and wasn't disappointed. Some of the writing was a bit clunky as you'd expect in a first novel but at other points the characters felt very real and it was charming. I'm looking forward to reading her next book.
April 6, 2019
Endless sifting
Around and around in a seemingly endless circle of interviews. It became confusing and somwhat polluted. Confusing because of the sheer number of suspect names, intent, theories and lack of evidence. Polluted because of the many unnecessary sub plots. One positive, you will never guess who did it or why.
Around and around in a seemingly endless circle of interviews. It became confusing and somwhat polluted. Confusing because of the sheer number of suspect names, intent, theories and lack of evidence. Polluted because of the many unnecessary sub plots. One positive, you will never guess who did it or why.
December 22, 2019
Detective Inspector William Gibson of the Vancouver Island police is called out to the scene of a murder. The body is that of a maintenance worker on the university camopus and was found by a co-worker.
Just enough interest in the story to read to the end though I didn't take to the main characters
Just enough interest in the story to read to the end though I didn't take to the main characters
December 26, 2019
Police Procedural Somewhat Flawed
This tale of a murder investigation in a maintenance facility is trying to read. The investigation is disorganized and sloppy causing the detectives to back peddle repeatedly to collect data on items like actions and alibis that should have been collected in the initial interviews with staff. In short bad police work.
This tale of a murder investigation in a maintenance facility is trying to read. The investigation is disorganized and sloppy causing the detectives to back peddle repeatedly to collect data on items like actions and alibis that should have been collected in the initial interviews with staff. In short bad police work.
April 12, 2020
Mixed feelings about this. It seems as if this author like another Canadian author who shall remain nameless writes in a way to intrigue us but to only explain back ground in part, leaving us to guess the rest. Another tortured police inspector too. The characters were not particularly likeable. The mystery was interesting but the solving of a little clunky in parts. Not sure if I will read more.
July 5, 2022
Love the setting and the descriptions of all the places. The easily distracted lead detective was a good character, but his partner was a stronger one and did most of the work, it seemed. There was a lot of back story for the main characters in one book, but it bodes well for future books in the series
March 28, 2020
Good story
First book that I have read by this author and it was a good story. Got a bit confused at first with the number of characters. Also enjoyed reading this book as it was set in a different location.
First book that I have read by this author and it was a good story. Got a bit confused at first with the number of characters. Also enjoyed reading this book as it was set in a different location.
June 25, 2020
This author needs to put down the thesaurus
Two pages in and all I could think was, "what's the next adjective?" There isn't a noun left in peace. The sky must be both indigo and cerulean. Unintentionally hilarious.
Two pages in and all I could think was, "what's the next adjective?" There isn't a noun left in peace. The sky must be both indigo and cerulean. Unintentionally hilarious.
October 28, 2020
Police Procedural
The setting was beautifully described in so much detail that you could feel the cold wind as you turned the pages. I would have liked some of the characters to be better developed because I didn’t feel like I knew them.
The setting was beautifully described in so much detail that you could feel the cold wind as you turned the pages. I would have liked some of the characters to be better developed because I didn’t feel like I knew them.
September 7, 2024
Kept me in the dark all the way to the end
Lot of “filler” information but still a very good book. Maybe the extra information will be helpful in the next book. I guess I will have to read it and find out. The thought makes me smile.
Lot of “filler” information but still a very good book. Maybe the extra information will be helpful in the next book. I guess I will have to read it and find out. The thought makes me smile.
April 12, 2019
Flowery confusion
Not my favorite. So many adjectives and adverbs it's hard to follow the story line. Won't be reading any more of this author
Not my favorite. So many adjectives and adverbs it's hard to follow the story line. Won't be reading any more of this author
January 4, 2020
desperately required proofreading prior to publishing.
June 29, 2020
This was an enjoyable read and a good but not great mystery. My favorite bits were the kayaking respires of the main detective.
July 12, 2020
Ponderous and bloviating
Reads like a catalogue of Vancouver Island weather with an incidental murder or two thrown in. The plot gets lost in niggling and ineptly worded details
Reads like a catalogue of Vancouver Island weather with an incidental murder or two thrown in. The plot gets lost in niggling and ineptly worded details
July 26, 2020
Great story!
A mystery that keeps you guessing from beginning to end! Great, well developed characters. Detailed descriptions. You won't be able to put it down!
A mystery that keeps you guessing from beginning to end! Great, well developed characters. Detailed descriptions. You won't be able to put it down!
September 20, 2020
Good mystery. I have the next one queued up.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews